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Category Archives: Bull Terrier

The Bull Terrier breed owes its creation to the violent sporting instincts of young Englishmen of the early part of the nineteenth century. At that time considerable attention was given to “pit,” fighting and young English gamesters sought to develop a type of terrier that could fight as well as kill vermin and hunt small game. Crosses of the larger type, smooth-coated, black-and-tan terriers, the early English white terrier, and the English Bulldog are reported to have been made, resulting in the kind, of fighting dog desired.

This animal was neither terrier nor bulldog, being a short-legged, heavy-set, short-headed, fawn-colored mongrel. Gradually all the bulldog characteristics, except courage and fighting qualities, were bred out, and after considerable outcrossing with the English white terrier the type assumed its present form. The accepted color for the Bull Terrier is white. Headmarks, however, such as a brindle patch about one eye, are permissible. Any mark back of the head is a disqualification for show purposes, but does not bar the dog from registration. Faint black hairs in spots (ticks) throughout the coat are common to puppies but, disappear with maturity.

Average heights for mature terriers range from 19 to 21-1/2 inches. Animals above the latter height are ordinarily considered too “weedy” unless they are exceptional specimens. Weight in the breed varies with the class. A good average for individuals in the lightweight class is 28 to 35 pounds, the heavier weights favoring the males. The averages for terriers above the 35-pound limit are: Dogs, 45 to 50 pounds; females, 43 to 45 pounds. In general appearance the Bull Terrier is a muscular, symmetrical dog in which agility, determination and courage are embodied.

The head is rather long, flat, wide between the ears, and lean, with even, punishing jaws; the ears, when un-cropped, are semi-erect; the neck long and slightly arched; the shoulders strong and slanting with a wide, deep chest and rounded ribs; the legs muscular; the feet catlike; and the back short and strong. The entire make-up of this dog should suggest ability to defend itself and its master in any emergency. Bull Terriers enjoy a considerable degree of popularity in this country and the breed’s distribution is rather extensive.